


A Passing Thing

by irisadler



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, Film Noir, Mentions of Bat Velasquez and Camille Belcourt, Private Investigators, Queer Het, This may be a het pairing but everyone's queer yo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-10-01 19:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20381821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irisadler/pseuds/irisadler
Summary: A weary, cynical PI gets a new case, and life will never be the same.





	A Passing Thing

**Author's Note:**

> "How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."  
\- JRR Tolkien
> 
> Prompt: Film Noir
> 
> A fun experiment on many levels: noir, first person, noir/plot in 500 words or less, etc. Many thanks to [LadyOxymoron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOxymoron/pseuds/LadyOxymoron) and [stupidnephilimlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidnephilimlove/pseuds/stupidnephilimlove) for helping me pare this down and telling me it was worth posting. I appreciate you both!

I looked up in answer to the rap on my door, and there she was: the most stunning dame I'd ever laid eyes on, with lips red as carmine and nails to match. I was out of my seat before she entered.

"I need your help."

Her voice was cool. No nonsense. Good. I could work with that.

"What can I do you for?" I asked.

"My friend's missing. Everyone thinks he's dead, but I know he's not. I need someone who's willing to take risks. Someone, apparently, like you."

I smiled and held out a hand. "Simon Lewis."

"Maia Roberts," she said, taking my hand and shaking it. Her grip was firmer than most I'd encountered, and I liked her the better for it.

Needless to say, I took the case, and I grew increasingly impressed with this Maia Roberts. She wasted neither time or words, giving me a concise yet comprehensive summary of the case of her friend's disappearance. By the time she was finished, I was on my feet, grabbing my hat and coat from the wall hooks, on board with the case in every possible way.

From there, we hit the streets. I'd expected Ms. Roberts to head on her way at that point, absolved of any responsibility, but I'd underestimated her once again. She stuck by my side like glue, polite but determined, and I soon decided it wasn't worth the effort of trying to tell her I didn't need her help, particularly as she proved to be quite the sleuth herself.

The thing had been well done - that was easy enough to surmise.

No one had seen anything, and there was hardly a hair out of place at this fella Bat's place. But Maia - because somewhere along the way, she'd become _ Maia _ \- insisted she knew her friend’s ways.

So I took a closer look, and sure enough, there were a few things that didn't add up.

Sooty smudges on otherwise pristine bathroom tile.

A crumpled paper bearing the impressions of scrawled words in a heavy hand.

Stray ink blotches on the kitchen counter.

In the end, the case hinged on a hair. A fibre, more accurately. Mink, dyed a very distinctive shade of scarlet.

When compared, a perfect, indisputable match to the prized possession of one Camille Belcourt. A society darling with a dark side, I'd long suspected Ms. Belcourt of being involved in the criminal underworld, of being sharper than she let on.

As it turned out, I was more right than I knew, though confirmation came a moment too late, as her fangs sank into my jugular.

Bat might be safe, but I thought it was all over for me.

Life.

Any chance with Maia…

But Maia’s fortitude went beyond what I dared to hope. She remained at my side throughout my convalescence, even when the dread truth revealed itself.

The day she shared her own secret only brought us closer, and now...

Well.

Lewis & Roberts has a nice ring to it.


End file.
